1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an intestinal irrigator for use with an artificial anus.
2. Prior Art
In recent years, quite a few patients suffereing from cancer of the rectum have been subjected to a surgical operation to remove the rectum and implant an artifical anus in the body. The patients having such an implanted artificial anus must undergo an intestinal irrigating treatment periodically. In this intestinal irrigating treatment, an irrigating liquid such as warm water is supplied into the intestines through the artificial anus and then is discharged therefrom.
One conventional intestinal irrigator is shown in FIG. 1. The intestinal irrigator 100 includes a body which comprises an outer cylindrical wall 101 having a front end 101a, the rear end of the outer cylindrical wall 101 being closed by a circular end wall 102. An inner cylindrical wall 103 is disposed within the outer cylindrical wall 101 in coaxial relation thereto and extends from the end wall 102. The inner cylindrical wall 103 has a front end 103a which lies flush with the front end 101a of the outer cylindrical wall 101. With this construction, an annular chamber 105 is defined by the outer and inner cylindrical walls 101 and 103 and a marginal portion 106 of the end wall 102 lying between the two cylindrical walls 101 and 103, the annular chamber serving as a suction chamber. A tubular portion 108 is formed on the outer surface of the outer cylindrical wall 103 and is in communication with the annular suction chamber 105. A circular aperture 109 is formed through the end wall 102 at the center thereof. An irrigating tube 110 is sealingly fitted in the aperture 109 and extends into an inner chamber 111 defined by the inner cylindrical wall 103 and the end wall 102, a forward end 110a of the irrigating tube 110 projecting beyond the front ends 101a and 103a of the outer and inner cylindrical walls 101 and 103. The tubular portion 108 is connectable to a suction source through a suction tube for creating a preselected degree of negative pressure within the annular suction chamber 1, as will hereinafter more fully be described. A three-way valve may be mounted on the suction tube.
For carrying out the intestinal irrigating treatment using the intestinal irrigator 100, the forward end 110a of the irrigating tube 110 is inserted into an artificial anus implanted in a patient until the front ends 101a and 103a of the outer and inner cylindrical walls 101 and 103 are brought into contact with the belly of the patient, so that the artificial anus is disposed within the inner chamber 111. Then, the intestinal irrigator is fixed to the belly of the patient by a belt or the like. The tubular portion 108 is connected to the suction source through the suction tube so that a predetermined degree of negative pressure, for example, on the order of 100 to 150 mmHg, is created within the annular suction chamber 105. Thus, the intestinal irrigator 100 is positively retained in position by suction, and the front ends 101a and 103a of the outer and inner cylindrical walls 101 and 103 are held in sealing engagement with the belly of the patient. Then, the rear end of the irrigating tube 110 remote from its forward end 110a is connected to a source of an irrigating liquid, and the irrigating liquid is supplied through the irrigating tube 110 to the intestines of the patient. Then, the suction of the suction chamber 105 is released, and the intestinal irrigator 100 is detached from the belly of the patient with the irrigating tube 110 withdrawn from the artificial anus. Upon lapse of an appropriate length of time, an open end of a bag made of vinyl is brought into contact with the belly of the patient in surrounding relation to the artificial anus. The supplied irrigating liquid and matters in the intestines are discharged therefrom into the bag.
This conventional intestinal irrigator 100 is disadvantageous in that the artificial anus is susceptible to damage by the irrigating tube 110 since the irrigating tube 110 must be inserted into the artificial anus to carry out the intestinal irrigating treatment. This is quite dangerous.
Another disadvantage is that it is rather cumbersome to handle this conventional intestinal irrigator since the bag must be attached directly to the belly of the patient after the intestinal irrigator is detached from the belly.
A further disadvantage is that the irrigating tube, when once used, can not be adequately cleaned since it has a small diameter. Therefore, the once-used intestinal irrigator must be discarded from a sanitary point of view. That is quite undesirable from an economical viewpoint.